Single-family house 150 sqm - Quiet village, space to the neighbors

Hello dear ones,

Although we already have our building permit, I would still be interested in how you would have done it, what you would have changed.

Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 1000m²
Edge development: only garage without windows allowed
Number of floors: two full floors
Roof shape: gable roof
Style: modern
Orientation: northeast, so the garden is southwest

Requirements of the builders
We wanted space but didn’t want to give away any room, like some do with, for example, a gallery. Large living-dining area, since we spend most of our time there. The office must be on the ground floor and we also wanted 2 “bathrooms” downstairs because when we are old we want to live only on the ground floor. Basement is included in the budget and we also need the space for the pellet heating and pellet storage. We are a family with later 2 children. Family planning is completed with the 2nd child.

Style, roof shape, building type: modern, gable roof
Basement, floors: basement, two full floors
Number of people, age: 2 adults, later 2 children: 27, 31 years old
Room requirements on ground and upper floor: about 75 m² each
Office: home office
Guests per year: 2–4
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no balcony, later a covered terrace
Garage, carport: garage

Utility garden, recreational garden, snack garden

Other special features
Photovoltaic system

House design
Who created the plan:
- planner of a construction company

What do you particularly like? Why?
We really like the floor plan.

What don’t you like? Why?
Maybe too much space wasted?? Living-dining room too narrow?

Cost estimate according to architect/planner: 450,000€

Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 530,000€

Heating technology: Pellet heating and underfloor heating, heating rod so that the photovoltaic system can also heat the water with electricity

If you have to do without, which details/extensions
-can you not do without:
Ground floor bathroom, office

Why is the design as it is now?
Individual planning

What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Please give opinions on the room layout and floor plan design

Best regards
Lisa & Udo

The driveway is in the north,
The living-dining-kitchen area in the south
Ground floor + garage with covered passage


Upper floor

Family planning is complete with the 2nd child.

That's funny. I know 2 families with triplets and another where the last two were twins. We always said we would feed whatever comes, 2 would be great and we were lucky with the number and "execution".

maybe too much space wasted?

The entrance takes up a lot of space without really offering cloakroom space. If the purpose behind it is that the office is doubly separated from the living area - OK. Otherwise, maybe swap the location of the bathroom with the office, choose a shorter entrance with a cloakroom, and move the stairs a bit toward the front door. The "bedroom" upstairs can withstand downsizing (especially since it only has one bed anyway ) You can consider whether a guest toilet and bathroom are needed downstairs or if the guest toilet can be omitted. That would create space.

Living-dining room too tight?

Yes, that seems tight to me. The dining table will be placed in a way that it will be in the way and the sofa set seems to be of the very compact kind. These pieces of furniture seem a bit small to me. What is really "too tight" – we, house builders here, all live very privileged if you look around the world. So it's of course not "too tight". But if I can design it myself, I would want to introduce a bit more spaciousness.

That’s funny. I know 2 families with triplets and another where the last two were twins. We always said we’d feed whatever comes, 2 would be great and were lucky with number and “execution.”

I know you can plan a lot, then the office becomes a third nursery and the husband must move to the basement, if necessary later even one child or the children have to share a room. No matter how many children, all are loved.

The entrance takes up a lot of space without really offering cloakroom space. If the point behind it is that you are doubly separated from the living area in the office – OK. Otherwise maybe exchange the location of the bathroom with the office, choose a shorter entrance with a cloakroom and move the stairs a bit toward the front door. The “bedroom” upstairs can handle a reduction (especially since it only has one bed ) You can consider whether you need a guest toilet and bathroom downstairs or if the guest toilet can be omitted. That would create space.

Upstairs we actually have enough space / or the room sizes suit us, only downstairs was always too little. We also once swapped the bathroom with the office, unfortunately that didn’t help us further somehow, a separate WC is necessary.

Yes, that seems tight to me. The dining table placed like that will be in the way and the sofa set seems to be of the very compact kind. These pieces of furniture seem a bit too small for me. What is already “too tight” – we home builders here all live very privileged when you look around the world. So “too tight” obviously is not. But if I can design it myself I would want to bring in a little more generosity.

Unfortunately, we cannot change the basic dimensions/outer dimensions, I hope we get along with the living-dining room/kitchen, hm.....

You don't want to know! If a building permit is already there, you don't want to know the disadvantages or improvements you would have...

You don’t want to know! If a building permit is already there, you don’t want to know the disadvantages or improvements you could have...

But that’s exactly what I want to know. Everyone is different and likes different things, finds different things great. We have been working on it for ages (years) now and it fits US so far. Of course, if the budget were unlimited…

You don't want to know! If a building permit is already there, you don't want to know the disadvantages or improvements you could have...

Why? Inside he can still move walls around as he pleases. I would close off the entrance canopy at the back because otherwise it’s pretty drafty there. Unfortunately, we don’t know the property, so we don’t know the exact situation.

separate WC is necessary.

That can be the case, too. But then you could leave out the WC in the bathroom and save space there. So you basically have 2 WCs next to each other and a third one upstairs. Who’s supposed to clean all of them? I find the bathroom layout upstairs very nice, but downstairs it’s ugly. The open-plan room is kind of cute – but I still find it okay. The windows on the street side aren’t symmetrical, or am I mistaken? I would still change that – I’m a bit picky. A window behind the bed is also not the best, but I could live with it.